Using State-of-the Art Nanotechnology to Manufacture Reinforced Tools
Think thousands of times smaller than the width of a hair or a piece of paper
and now you're at the nano scale of science. A Rushford company is using new
nanotechnology to manufacture reinforced tools. Rushford
Hypersonic is Minnesota's first rural nanotechnology company. It uses a
process that was created and patented by scientists at the University of Minnesota.
The company's focus is making everyday tools, like drill bits, stronger by
coating them with nano particles. Initial experiments have shown drill bits
that have the special coating last 40 times longer than those without it. The
CEO of Hypersonic says typically it takes 5 years to get an idea from the lab
to a finished product. This company is optimistic they'll do it in just under
2 years and they attribute their success to their small-town business.
"People need to understand nanotechnology can work, it doesn't have to
be in the big city. It can be literally in a small city of 1,700 people or less
works. What it takes is a talented group of individuals to come together and
do it," said Dan Fox, CEO of Rushford Hypersonic. Rushford Hypersonic is
the only company that has exclusive rights to this form of nanotechnology from
the University of Minnesota. The company is finishing up final tests of the
coating process and hopes to be selling the products to clients soon.
Run time: 2.40 mins